Search Results (2,478)

This article argues that Thomas Aquinas’s exegesis of the parables in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew contains—if only in skeletal form, with certain aspects more fully developed than others—the outline of a comprehensive treatise on Christian eschatology. Aquinas approaches parables with a nuanced perspective, acknowledging their inherent obscurity while also emphasizing their capacity to guide minds toward the truth. He understands their dual purpose as both concealing divine mysteries from the ill-intentioned and revealing them to the receptive. Distinguishing his approach from Albert the Great’s, Aquinas’s commentary features substantial eschatological components. Drawing on primary sources, this article examines these elements, starting with the unknowability of the end of time, which serves to promote vigilance. This article then treats death and particular judgment, the damned’s twofold punishment (the poena damni and the poena sensus), and the righteous’s varied, eternal reward, concluding with the Parousia, inseparably linked to the general resurrection, the final judgment, and the renewal of the world. Finally, this article shows how Aquinas’s engagement with these parables provides a robust, biblically-rooted exploration of the Last Things. Full article

Regionally, nationally, and globally, new churches are formed. This continues to divide the church due to traditions, theological, doctrinal matters, and denominational practices. In Africa—and Zimbabwe in particular—the formation of neo-Pentecostal denominations and prophetic movements exacerbates antagonism and division among Christians, posing a threat to the unity of the Body of Christ. Consequently, it is necessary to explore ways in which churches can find one another to promote unity among Christians, and this raises the need for local ecumenism. Christianity and the church are always found in specific cultural settings. Church life is guided by both its understanding of mission and the cultural context it operates. As churches need to be united, there is a need to explore ways in which the church can navigate its mission and cultural dynamics to promote unity. This article investigates the challenges and the missio-cultural factors that facilitate ecumenism among the Karanga people in Mberengwa, Zimbabwe. Mberengwa, a rural district in Zimbabwe, predominantly Karanga, presents a unique context where diverse Christian traditions coexist, often with varying degrees of tension and cooperation. This article examines the extent to which the complexity of ecumenism affects church cooperation in Mberengwa, Zimbabwe, and beyond, thereby exploring the cultural and missional factors that can promote church cooperation. Full article

This article explores how Japanese anime has become a space of theological imagination, where viewers encounter the divine not as fixed dogma but as a lived process. Through symbolic analysis of five spiritually resonant anime series: Puella Magi Madoka Magica, To Your Eternity, Sunday Without God, Code Geass, and The Promised Neverland, the study examines how characters such as Madoka, Fushi, Ai, Lelouch, Emma, and Mujika embody a form of theosis that unfolds through memory, sacrifice, refusal, and care. Rather than representing God as omnipotent or remote, these narratives invite a vision of the divine as vulnerable, suffering, and becoming, emerging through grief, relationships, and transformations. Drawing on theological and philosophical frameworks, especially process theology and symbolic interpretation, the article argues that anime collapses the traditional boundaries between theology and philosophy by embodying both in story. In these narrative worlds, divinity is not merely represented, it is approached, co-created, and remembered. The sacred is not a theory to master, but an encounter to undergo. Anime, thus, does not offer theology as a system but rather theology as a journey: a reenchanted vision of the world where God is still becoming. Full article

This paper juxtaposes the katechontic political theology of modern sovereignty that sacrifices life in the name of its protection with a paradigm of mystical sovereignty whose purpose is to serve the power of life. Reclaiming the power and politicality not only of theology but also of an overlooked and denigrated discourse, such as mysticism, serves two purposes: it restores the true content of mystery and elucidates the political dimension of theology. Mysticism has been either unduly dismissed in secular modernity as obscurantist, or its meaning has been abused by modern sovereignty for the purpose of investing power with an air of transcendent legitimacy. The proper restoration of the meaning of mysticism may eventually help us reconstruct an alternative conception of sovereignty, one that inverses the attributes Schmitt associates with sovereign power: mastery, supreme potency, legitimate exercise of arbitrary violence. Such an alternative conception of sovereignty, as vulnerability, sacrifice, service, and potent powerlessness may then enable us to appreciate the resources mystical theology can contribute to rethinking the nature of the political and the political nature of theology. Full article

If God cares and is present, can God use pain and suffering in my life? Absolutely. Does this mean that God planned, ordained, or designed the pain (or cancer) to be instrumental in my life for some sort of higher spiritual purpose? If so, why? Why does God allow cancer to invade and interrupt one’s life? There are no theologically sound or definitive answers to these questions. Although asking such questions is basic to our humanity, as we will observe in various passages of Scripture, the answers will always remain elusive. Instead of seeking to answer the question “why?”, I will suggest two areas for theological and pastoral reflection with respect to those facing cancer: humility and hope. Enduring cancer, from diagnosis through treatment, requires humility in mind and body before our Creator and before our caregivers. Cancer also provides an opportunity for Christians to embed themselves in the hope of resurrection and new creation. Resurrection hope is also not reduced to hope beyond death but hope that is manifested now through embodied resurrection “signs” and actions of human sacrificial love, both received and practiced by the patient undergoing illness and by the patient’s caregivers, family, and friends. Full article

The Alevis of Anatolia and the Balkans and the Alawites of Syria and southeastern Turkey are two distinct ethnoreligious communities frequently conflated in both media and scholarly literature, despite their divergent historical origins, theological differences, and varying sociocultural formations. While their shared histories of marginalization and persecution, certain theological parallels, and cognate ethnonyms contribute to this conflation, it largely stems from a broader tendency within mainstream Islamic frameworks to homogenize so-called heterodox communities without sufficient attention to their doctrinal and cultural specificities. This paper, grounded in a synthetic analysis of current scholarship, maps the key historical, theological, and sociocultural intersections and divergences between Alawite and Alevi communities. Situated within the broader framework of intra-Islamic diversity, it seeks to move beyond essentialist and homogenizing paradigms by foregrounding the distinct genealogies of each tradition, rooted, respectively, in the early pro-Alid movements of Iraq and Syria and in Anatolian Sufism. In addition, the study examines the communities’ overlapping political trajectories in the modern era, particularly their alignments with leftist and secular–nationalist currents, as well as their evolving relationship—from mutual unawareness to a recent political rapprochement—prompted by the growing existential threats posed by the rise of Sunni-Salafi Islamist movements. Full article

This study is a qualitative study conducted in order to examine the religious lives of students studying in different faculties of (x) University in the academic year 2024–2025 and to understand their perspectives on religious beliefs and practices. The research data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 20 students on a voluntary basis. In the study, students’ worship habits, such as prayer, fasting, reading the Qur’an, and praying, which can be considered as the basic worship practices of Islam, and the reflection of these habits on their lives were discussed. The data obtained show that the majority of the students attach importance to religious practices but have various difficulties in fulfilling these practices. In the study, it was determined that most of the participants evaluated prayer as a means of connecting with God, finding inner peace, and gaining a sense of responsibility, and fasting in the context of patience, self-training, empathy, and spiritual maturity. The majority of the participants embraced the Qur’an as the main source and sacred text of Islam, and they practiced reading the Qur’an in Arabic more than they practiced reading the translation. Praying was determined as the most common and continuous practice among the participants. As a result, it has been determined that although university youth do not have different results in terms of beliefs regarding worship, they do not show the same sensitivity in terms of practice. Full article

This essay provides a fine-grained analysis of selected passages of Giulio Aleni (艾儒略 1582–1649)’s translation of Catholic liturgy into classical Chinese in late imperial China. It focuses on the hitherto underexplored relationships between Aleni’s resort to medieval Aristotelianism and Thomism, as well as his translation-based introduction of Catholic Eucharistic theology into China. The case studies here revolve around Aleni’s Chinese translation of Aristotelian-Thomistic hylomorphism, with a focus on his interpretation of “anima” (i.e., the soul, which corresponds largely to linghun 靈魂 in Chinese), which is a multifaceted Western concept that pertains simultaneously to Aristotelian-Thomistic philosophy and Eucharistic theology. It is argued that in his overarching project of introducing Western learnings (i.e., 西學) to sixteenth- and seventeenth-century China, Aleni’s attention is centered primarily on the body-soul and form-matter relationship. This is, as understood here, motivated to a great extent by his scholarly awareness that properly informing Chinese Catholics of the Aristotelian-Thomistic underpinning of Western metaphysics enacts an indispensable role in introducing Catholic liturgy into China, notably the mystery of the Eucharist and Transubstantiation that would not have been effectively introduced to China without having the Western philosophical underpinnings already made available to Chinese intellectuals. Aleni’s use of medieval European cultural legacy thus requires more in-depth analysis vis-à-vis his translational poetics in China. Accordingly, the intellectual and liturgical knowledge in Aleni’s Chinese œuvres shall be investigated associatively, and the medievalism embodied by Aleni offers a valid entry point and productive critical prism. Full article

New theologies developed in tandem with evolutionary biology during the nineteenth century, which have been called metaphysical evolutionisms and evolutionary theologies. A subset of these theologies analyzed here were developed by thinkers who accepted biological science but rejected both biblical creationism and materialist science. Tools from the cognitive science of religion, including conceptual metaphor theory (CMT) and blending theory, also known as conceptual integration theory (CIT), can help to explain the development of these systems and their transformation between the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries. The analysis focuses on several stable and popular blends of ideas, which have continued with some alteration into the twenty-first century. The three blends evaluated here are Progressive Soul Evolution, Salvation is Evolution, and Evolution is Therapy. Major contributors to these blends are the theosophist and theologian Helena P. Blavatsky and psychologist Frederic W. H. Myers, both influenced by the spiritualist movement, particularly the ideas of the spiritualist and biologist Alfred Russel Wallace. The influence of these blends can be seen in the twentieth-century “Aquarian Frontier,” a group of 145 thinkers and organizations identified in 1975 by counterculture historian Theodore Roszak. Part of the appeal of these blends may be seen in their use of metaphors, including the Great Chain of Being and A Purposeful Life is a Journey. The application of the polysemic term evolution in a sense that does much of the theological work of salvation in Christianity can in part be explained by applying the principles of blending theory, including the vital relation “achieve a human scale,” as well as compressions of time and identity. These blends have been successful because they meet the needs of a population who are friendly towards science but disenchanted with traditional religions. The blends provide a satisfying new theology that extends beyond death for a subset of adherents, particularly in the New Age and spiritual but not religious (SBNR) movements, who combine the agency of self-directed “evolution” with the religious concepts of grace and transcendence. Full article

This article examines the epistemological and homiletical implications of postmodernity for Christian preaching. It addresses the communicative crisis introduced by postmodern skepticism toward metanarratives. It proposes a constructive theological response through the re-articulation of the gospel as a coherent, storied, and transformative metanarrative. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship in theology, homiletics, epistemology, and cultural theory, this study argues that a thoughtful engagement with postmodern critique can serve as a catalytic force for ecclesial renewal. The article advocates for a homiletic method that re-engages Scripture’s narrative form while emphasizing relational epistemology, incarnational witness, and contextual sensitivity. By utilizing narrative theology, post-critical epistemologies, and performative models of preaching, this study proposes a recalibrated approach to gospel proclamation, adapted for fragmented and skeptical audiences, while safeguarding theological orthodoxy. Full article

One of the core sources for Christian justification or critique of social justice matters is the Bible. One would think that a leading historic Christian figure, like John Wesley, whose theology was closely bound to biblical interpretation, would have used the Bible extensively to argue against an important matter such as (anti-)slavery. However, we find that his argument lacks his usual biblical-centeredness. This article explores this phenomenon and attempts to understand Wesley’s reasoning and argument in light of his limited use of scripture in this instance. Full article

With good reason, Vatican II encourages the Eastern ecclesial realities to preserve and, if necessary, to rediscover their own traditions (also, even if not only, for ecumenical reasons). There are, however, certain aspects of the heritage of the Eastern Churches that require urgent revision in a spirit of consistency with the teachings of the Council. This is undoubtedly the case with regard to the anti-Jewish elements so specific to the entire Christian tradition (more or less generalised insults and judgments; substitutionary and appropriative perspectives; a purely instrumental use of the Jewish scriptures) and, in the absence of full reception of the Council, still reflected in the public prayers of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church, to the detriment of that spirit of respect, fraternity, and dialogue theoretically embraced throughout the Catholic world today. In the light of Nostra aetate §4 and the subsequent developments that flowed from it, I shall try in this contribution to outline some possible criteria for reforming the offices of Holy Week, aiming to show that—at least in this particular case—it is not enough merely to refer to the OE, let alone to use it to justify a comfortable tendency towards inertia. Apart from the fact that it is this very Decree that speaks of a possible and necessary organic progress, we cannot ignore the more general spirit of renewal of the Council and its other documents (the NA, the SC, the DV, the GS). The challenge would be to engender a creative fidelity, which—while preserving the best of tradition—surpasses certain of its contingent elements. Full article

The present essay aims to make an analysis of a widely analyzed theme held very dear to Pope Saint John Paul II, namely, the right to religious freedom as a foundation for all other forms of freedom. From the way this essay tackles this theme, it is not difficult to understand that John Paul II’s metaphysical view with regard to the human being, as well as his view on the subjectivity of the human person and the dignity of the human person, are essential for an accurate understanding of the relation between freedom and truth. Freedom is rooted in the truth, and it can be achieved only in truth. When it is separated from truth, it becomes just an illusion. For Pope John Paul II, it is very clear that freedom and truth either go together or perish together. The truth to which freedom is linked is not just an abstract truth, but is the Absolute Truth, namely God. Therefore, only in the light of this relationship between freedom and truth can the right to religious freedom, which is the heart of human rights, be explained. Religious freedom allows the human person to live in the truth of her/his faith, according to her/his transcendental dignity. Full article

This article presents a theological framework of a Theology of Living, which seeks to reimagine the task of theology as a lived, communal and practical enterprise. Departing from purely systematic or disembodied approaches, this theology emphasises the relational and contextual dimensions of Christian faith. The embedded nature of theology acknowledges that theological reflection is always situated within particular histories, cultures and communities. The deliberative dimension foregrounds the necessity of intentional, dialogical discernment in response to complex moral and spiritual challenges. The embodied aspect affirms that theology is not merely spoken or written, but enacted through the rhythms of everyday life, worship and service. Drawing upon pastoral experience, biblical reflection and theological discourse, this article proposes that such an integrated approach to theology not only bridges the gap between doctrine and practice but also reclaims theology’s vocational role in forming individuals and communities shaped by love, justice and hope. Full article

Sacred choral music continues to hold a significant place in contemporary concert settings, with historical and newly composed works featuring in today’s choral programmes. Contemporary choral composers have continued to engage with the longstanding tradition of setting sacred texts to music, bringing fresh interpretations through their innovative compositional techniques and fusion of styles. Irish composer Rhona Clarke’s (b. 1958) expansive choral oeuvre includes a wealth of both sacred and secular compositions but reveals a notable propensity for the setting of sacred texts in Latin. Her synthesis of archaic and contemporary techniques within her work demonstrates both the solemn and visceral aspects of these texts, as well as a clear nod to tradition. This article focuses on Clarke’s choral work O Vis Aeternitatis (2020), a setting of a text by the medieval musician and saint Hildegard of Bingen (c. 1150). Through critical score analysis, we investigate the piece’s melodic, harmonic, and textural frameworks; the influence of Hildegard’s original chant; and the use of extended vocal techniques and contrasting vocal timbres as we articulate core characteristics of Clarke’s compositional style and underline her foregrounding of the more visceral aspects of Hildegard’s words. Clarke’s fusion of creative practices from past and present spotlights moments of dramatic escalation and spiritual importance, and exhibits the composer’s distinctive compositional voice as she reimagines Hildegard’s text for the twenty-first century. Full article